Photographer&#39;s flash light apparatus



July 26, 1932. A. E. UPP 1,869,158

PHTOGRAPHERS FLASH LIGHT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 15, 1932 Patented July 2.6, 1932 y UNITED STATES ALBERT E. LIPP, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA IPHOTOGRAPHERS FLASH LIGHT APPARATUS Application filed February 15, 1932.V Serial No. 593,071.

This4 invention relates to photographers flash light apparatus and an object thereof is to provide a novel, inexpensive and advantageous apparatus in which a hand operated part may be caused to operate a camera shutter, and, at the same time to close a normally open electric circuit for an electrical ash lamp to energize or explode the contents, the lamp synchronously with the operal" tion of the shutter. Another object is to provide for the utilization in the apparatus of the well known camera shutter operating device which comprses a tubular guide, a shutter operating member movable longitudinall5 ly therein and a spring yieldingly opposing the movementof the member; and a further object is to make provision for the adjustment of a part whereby the timing of the operation of the shutter with relation to the closing of 3 the circuit may be nicely regulated.

The invention resides in the elements and the combinations of them hereinafter described and claimed.

- In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the invention,

`Figure 1 is a side View of an apparatus, showing one form of embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a section through a part of the apparatus, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Y Figure 3 is a section through a part of the apparatus, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 4 designates a frame or casing which may be of any desired construction for its intended purpose..

herein illustrated, the vframe or casing `is formed of metal and it comprises' two cylindrical sections which are joined at their meeting ends by threaded portions which permit n.the separation thereof for accessl to the interiorof the casing. This casing 4 is adapted to contain one o1' more electric batteries alor dry cells 5 in the manner of the casings o the well known flash lamps in common use.

' In the drawing, two dry cells are shown in ing As ing 4 in spacedrelation tov t series, one resting upon the other and the lower one resting upon a contact spring 6 in the lower end portion of the lower casing section.

The upper end portion of the casing 4 is provided with a metallic contact socket 7 for the reception of the plug 8 of an electrical flash lamp 9. The socket 7 is electrically insulated from the casing 4 by a sleeve 10 and collar 11 formed of suitable non-conduct- 55 ing material and surrounding the socket 7 between the same and the casing 4.

When the lamp plu 8 is screwed into the socket 7, as shown in ig.,2, one of the lamp' terminals, formed by the outer wall of the no plug is in electrical contact with the socket y7, and the other, centrally arranged or remote lamp terminal 12 is in electrical contact with one terminal of the dry cell or cells 5, and the other terminal of the cell or cells 5 is in 65 electrical contact with the spring 6 which, p in turn, is in electrical contact with the cas- 4. Thus an electric circuit, normally open between the socket 7 and casing 4, is provided for supplying current to the lamp 9. Extending between the lamp socket 7 and the insulatin sleeve 10 is 'a metal arm 13 which is insu ated from the casing 4 by the sleeve 10 and which is in electrical contact with the socket 7 and secured thereto by 76 solder or othen suitable means. The lower end portion of the arm 13 has a metal block 14 secured thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom through an openin 15 in the casp e wall of the opening to avoid contact with the casin The outer end portion of the block 14 is provided with a transversely extending screw 16 which is screwed into and through the block. The block 14 is split, at 17, so that 35 the walls thereof above and below the screw. 16. may yield and exert suilicient pressure f u on the screw tol prevent accidental disacement thereof from set ositions of adjustment, and yet permit t e screw to be or free end portion of the arm 19 is arranged outwardly of one end of the contact screw 16. The arm 19 rests normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, with its free end in spaced relation to the screw 16; and it will now be understood that the electric circuit for the lamp 9 is normally open between the screw 16 and arm 19 and that the circuit may be closed by moving the arm 19 into contact with the screw 16 against the spring pressure of the arm tending to return it to its normal position.

The free end portion of the arm 19 is provided with an opening 20 which extends therethrough for the reception of the tubular guide 21 of a camera shutter operating device 22. One end of the tubular guide 21 is provided with a head 23 having a threaded nip le 24 adapted to be screwed into a camera in t e usual manner; and the other end of the ide 21 is provided with a head 25 which is a apted to engage the contact arm 19 and move it i'nto contact with the screw 16 when pressure is applied tothe head 25 in thev direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.

Extending longitudinally through the tubular member 21 is a camera shutter operating member 26 having a small head 27 on the inner end portion thereof adapted tio engage the shutter mechanism for tripping or operating the same to .open and close. the shutter when the member`26 is moved in\the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3. The other` end portion of the member 26 eX- tends outwardly from the head 25 and carries a head 28 by means of' which the memberl 26 may be moved by hand in the direction of the arrows.

The member 26 is provided with a collar v29 within the tubular guide 21 adjacent to the vhead 25, and encircling the member 26 and extending between the collar 29 and a shoulder 30 formed in the guide 21 is a helical spring 31. This spring 31 holds t-he collar 29 normally against the head 25 and holds the head 28 on the member 26 normally inl the outer position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Thus the spring 31 forms a yielding means against which the member 26 may be moved in the direction of the arrows for the operation of the shutter. After the member 26 has been thus moved and released, the spring 31 returns it to its normal position.

The major portions of the tubular guide 21 and member 26 therein are made flex-l ible, as usual, and the construction and operation of the shutter operating device- 22 assente in operating the camera shutter are well known in this art.

The arm 19 is provided with a passage 32 which extends laterally from the opening 2O and through which the tubular guide 21 of the shutter operating device may be moved into or removed from the opening, and the parts of the main body of the guide 21, a little distance fromthe head 25, are small enough in diameter to permit them to be passed through the passage 32 into and from within the opening 20 while the parts of guide 21 close to or forming part of the head 25 and located within the opening 20, when the apparatus is ready for use, are larger in diameter than the space between the opposing walls of the passage 32 so that such walls retain-the guide 21 within the opening 20. When the guide 21 is inserted into or removed from the opening 2O it is necessary to move it longitudinally with respect to the arm 19 until a part of the guide whose diameter is s uiiciently small to permit it lto be passed through the passage 32.

The casing 4 serves as a handle which may be grasped in the hand of the photographer or person using' the device while the thumb of the hand holding the casing may be used to act against the head 28 to move the shutter operating member 26 in the direction of the arrows. When the member 26 is thus moved, the pressure of the spring 31 againstfthe tubular guide 21 moves it in the direction of the arrows and causes the head 25 thereon to lmove the arm 19 into contact with the contact screw 16 for the closingof the electric circuit at the time the camera shutter is opened.

` The spring 31 is initially of less strength than the arm 19 in. resisting or opposing the movement of the member 26 so that the mem ber 26 will be permitted to be moved to some extent for the operation of the camera shutter before the arm 19 is moved into contact with the screw 16 in orderxthat the circuit will be closed for firing or exploding the contents of the bulb of the lamp 9 for the production of the Hash light when the shutter is open, and

the timing of the opening of the shutter with relation to the closin of the circuit may be nicely re lated by a justing the screw 16 toward or rom the contact arm 19. By this adjustment the flash of light from the lamp 9 may be caused to occur at any desired time with relation to position of the shutter, either before or at-or after the time that the shutter is in the full open position, so that the power of the light permltted to enter the camera may be regulated and adjusted to a lamp of a given light power. v

The lamp 9 used in the apparatus is the well known photo I'iash lamp now in common use and in which the contents of the glass i bulb thereof are ignited and burned or exploded by the electric current when the cir-4 cuit is closed.

.I claim as my invention 1. In a photographers Hash light apparav tus, the combination f a support, an electrical contact part carried thereby, a resilient electrical contact part-having an opening extending therethrough and movably mounted on the .support yand electrically insulated from and normally out of contact with the first named part, a tubular guide extendin through said opening and having a head thereon adapted to engage the second named part and move it into contact with the first named part, a camera shutter operating member Vlongitudinally movable within said guide and havin an end portion projecting from the head t ereon and provided with an operating head, a s ring acting between a part of said guidefan a part of said member and v opposing movement of the last named head toward the first named head, an electric Hash lamp, and an electric circuit including said parts and said lamp'and normally open between said parts.

2. In a' photographers Hash light apparatus, the combination of' a support, an electrical contact part carried thereby, a spring contact arm electrically insulated from said part and having one en d portion thereof Hxedly related to the support and the other end p0rtion thereof movable into contact with said part and provided with an opening extending therethrough, a tubular guide extending through said4 opening and havinga head thereon adapted to engage the second named part and move it into contact with the first named part, a cameral shutter operating member longitudinally movable within said guide and having an end portion p rojecting from the head thereon and provided with an operating head, a spring acting between a part of said guide and a part of said member and opposing movement of the last named head toward the first named head, anelectric flash lamp, and an electric circuit including said parts and said lamp and normally open bel,tween said parts. v

` 3. In a photographers Hash light apparatus, the combination of a support, an electrical contact part carried thereby, a resilient electrical contact part having an opening extending therethrough and movably mounted on the support and electrically insulated from and normally out of contact with the first named part, a tubular guide 5 extending through said opening and having a head thereon adapted to engage the second named part and move it into contact with the first named part, a camera shutter operating member longitudinally movable within said guide and having an end portion projecting from the -head thereon andprovided with an operating head, a spring acting between a part of said guide and a part of said member and opposing movement of 'the last named9 head toward the first named head, the second named contact -part hav- Bing a laterally extending passage through which said member is movable into and from said opening, an electric Hash lamp, and an electric circuit including said parts and said lamp and normally open between said parts.

4. In a photographers Hash light apparatus, the combination of a support, an electrical contact part carried thereby, a spring y contact arm electrically insulated from said u part and having one end portion thereof fixedly related to the support and the other end portion thereofmovable into contact with said part and provided with an opening extending therethrough, a tubular guide extending through said opening and having a head thereon adapted to engage the second named part and move it into contact with the first named part, a camera shutter operating member longitudinally movable within said guide and havingan end portion pro` jecting from the head thereon and provided with an operating head, a spring acting between a part of said guide and a part of said member and opposing movement of the last named head toward the first named head, said arm having a laterally extending passage through which said member is movable into and from said opening, an electric Hash lamp, and an electric circuit 'including said 95 parts and said lamp and normally open between said parts.

`5. In a photographers flash light apparatus, the combination of a support, an electrical contact part carried by the support an electrical contact part movably mounted on the support and electrically insulated from and normally out of contact with the first named part, the second named part being movable 'from its normal position into con- 105 tact with the first named part and being provided with spring means opposing such movement, a camera-shutter operating member movably associated with the second named part and adapted when moved from a normal position to move the same into contact with the first named part, and spring means opposing movement of said member from its normal position and being initially of less resisting strength than the first named spring means, an electricalHash lamp, and an electric circuit including said parts and said lamp andV normally open between said parts.

6. In a photographers Hash light appa- 12o ratus, the combination of a handle having a contact socket therein or the 'reception of an electrical Hash lamp in contact with one `of its terminals, a contact part electrically connected to said socket, and resilient contact part mounted on the handle and electrically insulated from the first named part and adapted to be moved into contact therewith and having an opening extending there- /I through for the reception of a camera shutter/ operating device, said handle being adapted to receive an electric battery having one terminal for Contact With the terminal of the lamp remote from said socket, and means for electrically connecting the second named part to the other terminal ofsaid battery.

7. In a photographers iashlight apparatus, the combination of a handle having a contact socket therein for the reception of an electrical flash lamp in contact With one of its terminals, a contact part electrically connected to said socket, and a spring contact arm electrically insulated from said part and having one end portion thereof fixedly related to the handle and the other end portion thereof movable into contact with said part and provided with an opening extending therethrough for the reception of a camera shutter operating device, said handle being adapted to receive an electric battery having one terminal for contact with the ter'- minal of the lamp remote from said socket, and means for electrically connecting said arm to the other terminal of said battery.

8. In a photographers flash light apparatus, the combination of a handle having a contact socket therein for the reception of an electrical flash lamp in contact with one of its terminals, a contact part electrically connected to said socket, and a spring contact arm ip aeaias supporting a camera shutter operating de-y vice, said handle being adapted to receive an electric battery having one terminal for contact with the terminal of the lamp remote from said socket, and means or electrically connecting the second named part to the other terminal of said battery.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature.

ALBERT E. LIPI.

electrically insulated from saidpart and having one end portion. thereof fxedly related to the handle and the other end portion thereof movable into Contact With said part and provided with an opening extending therethrough for the reception of a camera shutter operating device, said arm having a laterally extending passage through which said device may be moved into and from said opening, said handle being adapted to receive an electric battery having one terminal for contact with the terminal of the lamp remote from said socket, and means for electrically connecting said arm to the other terminal of said battery.

9. In a photographers flash light apparatus, the combination of a handle having a contact socket therein for the reception of an electrical flash lamp in contact with one of its terminals, a part electrically connected to said socket, an adjustable contact screw carried by said part, and a resilient contact part mounted on the handle and electrically insulated from the first named part and adapted to be moved into` contact with said screw Aand being provide'd with means for receiving and supporting a camera shutter operating device, said handle being adapted to receive an electric battery having one terminal for contact with the terminal of the lamp remote from said socket, and means for electrically connecting the second named part to the other terminal of said battery.

10. In a photographers flash light apparatus, the combination of a handle having a con- 

